BY MAUREEN N. MARATITA
Journal Staff
Photo courtesy of Inchcape Shipping Services LLC
Inchcape Shipping Services LLC is ramping up its services in Guam and has officially re-opened its office on-island.
The shipping company — which re-opened in May at the Century Plaza Building in Tamuning — has been developing business throughout the Mariana Islands, according to its operations manager.
“We cover Guam, Saipan and Tinian,” Ariel Dumapit told the Journal, speaking with the paper from Saipan. “We have a sub-agent in the [Federated States of Micronesia,] the Marshalls and Palau,” he said.
Inchcape assists ships in a variety of ways, Dumapit said. These include assisting with berthing, providing tugboats and pilots, vessel clearance, and helping crew members who are leaving and joining ships. Inchcape also sources spare parts a vessel may need and provides provisions. If a crew member needs medical assistance, “We make provisions for transport,” Dumapit said. Inchcape also offers vehicle transportation, dredging, cable-laying, and management of cruise vessels, according to the company.
The Guam office — which re-opened after a gap of some years years — regularly handles military vessels and the ExxonMobil medium range tanker Sophia, as well as onward distribution of fuel to Palau, according to its website.
Inchcape does not handle container loads.
Dumapit has more than 20 years of experience in logistics and husbanding services to commercial and military vessels in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and several ports in the Philippines.
The Inchcape Group acquired Atkins Kroll Co. Ltd. and its Pacific subsidiaries in 1974. Inchape reported revenues of £7.6 billion for 2020, according to its 2021 annual report. Inchcape operated a Guam office from the 1990s to 2018, but left due to a downturn in business. Its shipping origins date back to 1847, according to its website. mbj
